– British officials have been warned by their Saudi counterparts that Saudi Aramco’s IPO-ARMO.SE listing is unlikely to go ahead this year and likely to be delayed until 2019.

– GKN Plc will launch its final attack on the hostile 7 billion pound bid from Melrose Industries Plc , saying that measures unveiled in its defence put its true value at closer to 5 pounds a share, higher than the previous offer of 415 pence.

– According to the International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators, 40 per cent of the audits inspected last year identified serious problems and accounting lapses.

– New sanctions against Russia are being prepared by UK ministers, days after double agent Sergei Skripal was poisoned. This threatens to bring relations between the two countries to crisis point.